Top Ten Books That Were Difficult To Read

Each week there’s a different Top Ten list. It’s a great way to find and connect with other awesome bloggers.

Reading can be difficult, sometimes.

It can. Whether because of dense writing, awful-ness or subject matter, reading CAN sometimes be a chore. But since I don’t DNF books, I always get to the end. And sometimes it can be a relief to finish that last page.

Here are some of those books.

Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

Why? Subject matter. This was about teens who ended up in prostitution, and it’s an extremely confronting book. That’s what Ellen Hopkins does best, and it was a really thought-provoking read.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Why? It…um, it kind of bored me. I read this for English a while ago and it just wasn’t my thing. I mean, yeah, I LOVED the meaning behind it and everything, but it was just a bit dense for me.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Why? GOSH I hated this book. You can read my rant here. I wanted to finish the series, but I really, really did not like this book.

Angelfall by Susan Ee

Why? GORE. VIOLENCE. I don’t do those things.

This Star Won’t Go Out by Esther Earl

Why? This was so sad, oh my goodness. Even more so because Esther is a real person and just. Ugh. Ugly crying right here.

The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien

Why? I read Fellowship again this year for school, and it takes a LONG time. It’s just a very dense book.

The Fire Ascending by Chris d’Lacey

Why? It was the end to one of my favourite series EVER (The Last Dragon Chronicles) and it was absolutely awful. Actually, the last three or four were horrible, but I HAD to finish it.

Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder

Why? Okay, I actually HIGHLY recommend this book. It’s amazing. Seriously. Read it. It’s about philosophy and stuff – it was difficult to read because it practically blew my mind. It’s definitely difficult to wrap your head around it.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J K Rowling

Why? BECAUSE IT WAS THE LAST ONE, THAT’S WHY. I read this on the silver seats in fourth grade – I can remember it distinctly – and I did not want it to end.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Why? Because I was practically sobbing for the last 50 pages, so it was a little difficult to see the actual words on the page. I have never cried so much in a book.

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39 thoughts on “Top Ten Books That Were Difficult To Read”

I HAVE THIS STAR WON’T GO OUT ON MY LIST TOO! (Honest, do I always start my comments by yelling? Sheesh. How do you put up with me, eh?) It was just so full of ugly crying and sadness…and probably the first memoir I’ve read by someone who died. (I don’t know why, but I feel totally different about reading books by not-living people. It’s just different.) Also: agreed for LoTR and Huckleberry Finn. I think Mark Twain’s humour is fabulous, but there is only so much cruising down the river before I, too, fall asleep. -_-

I’M PRETTY SURE I YELL A LOT ON YOUR BLOG AS WELL. Haha. It’s a great form of expression 😛 yep, I don’t read many memoirs either. Except, like, Mao’s Last Dancer. So oh my GOSH it was sad. Plus I’d heard a lot of things about Esther from the Nerdfighter community. Yep yep LoTR and Huck Finn are both really dense. Almost gave up on both of them lots of times 😛

READING THAT LAST HP WAS SO BITTERSWEET. That still brings back some great memories though! I haven’t read Sophie’s World but I suppose I’ll have to one of these days. I think the hardest thing I’ve ever read would probably be Anna Karenina, mostly because the author goes on political spiels/tangents every once in a while =___=

I KNOW. SO MANY FEELS. Which is why I read it over and over – I don’t want that to stop. Oooh, I haven’t read Anna Karenina. If I ever do, I’ll make sure to read it in between a really fun, awesome book 😛

I actually haven’t read Allegiant yet because someone accidentally revealed the big spoiler that happens towards the end, so now I just don’t have the same motivation to read it (although I do hope to *one day*). I once borrowed The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the library to try and give it a go but I just couldn’t get into it at the time so I’m not sure I’ll be trying that again any time soon. Thanks for sharing Emily, there are definitely some difficult reads out there sometimes!

How COULD they? What is even the point? Honestly I don’t think it’s worth reading. Well, unless you just want to finish the series (which was what I did). Haha, yep, if I didn’t have to read Huck Finn for a wide reading assignment I NEVER would have finished it, I don’t think.

HP7 broke me too. I remember getting my sister to read it to me in the car as I drove us home from the bookstore. And I both wanted to finish it before anyone could spoil it for me but wanted to drag it out. I’d been reading those books for years and loved the wait between installments. It was so sad for the wait to be over forever. Kind of broke my heart. This was the first series I really knew about before the entire series was released and I’d never done the wait between books before. I can COMPLETELY understand why Deathly Hallows is on your list this week!

I guess it wasn’t as bad for me because I was…what, 10 when it came out? Yep, 10. I read it the day after my mum got it, I’m pretty sure 🙂 I still reread and rewatch them, though. All the time (it’s actually kind of ridiculous, lol). But yep, Deathly Hallows definitely deserved a spot here 🙂

I definitely want to check out Ellen Hopkins’ stuff in the future, This one seems unique, and I’ll see if I enjoy it. 🙂 Hahaha at Allegiant! Never picking that thing up, thank you very much. I also found it hard to read Angelfall but for completely different reasons. I loved the blood and the gore, but everything else (the romance, the writing, the characters in general) bored me to death. I never plan on reading This Star Won’t Go Out because I am scared of cancer and this book will make me fear it even more. No thanks. 🙂 I find it hard to read all of John Green’s books–his writing style’s not for me. But TFiOS definitely made me cry–especially in the gorgeous film!

As for the hardest book to read for me… There are plenty. I tend to DNF and put tons of books on hold. >_<

Ellen Hopkins is one of those authors not everyone is going to like, but her stuff is really edgy and dark and…I still don’t know if I like it or not but I keep reading them!! I read your review of Angelfall, actually, because I wanted to see other people who didn’t like it (didn’t want to be the only one!). Yep, if that’s the case definitely don’t read This Star Won’t Go Out. Although if you read TFiOS O_O

Oh my goodness! All the ones on this list that I’ve read I’ve had a hard time with as well! The Fault in Our Stars didn’t take that long but I was sobbing so hard the words were practically moving on the page.With Allegiant it was more that I would put it down and only very very reluctantly pick them back up, because I knew what was coming and was scared out of my wits.
I’m also trying to read Robin Hood right now. I started at the end of July and I still haven’t reached page 100. Soooo difficult to read!

The Fault in Our Stars WAS a really quick read but yepppp, sobfest. Allegiant – the ending was one I didn’t actually see coming but it made me so angry and annoyed, just argh. Never tried to pick up Robin Hood, though!

OH MY GOD. Allegiant. How did I forget that one on my list!? You’re definitely not alone in disliking that one. IT MADE ME SO ANGRY I WANTED TO THROW THE BOOK ACROSS THE ROOM. (I didn’t. I could never abuse my books like that, even if it was a hardcover. :P) And yes, I’m so with you about the Deathly Hallows, too. *sobs* Why did it have to end?

I think TFIOS will be on everybody’s list, haha 😉 And oh my goodness, it is so good to at last find somebody who agrees with me on Huck Finn. I LOVED Tom Sawyer, but I couldn’t struggle through the second one. 😛

I read Sophie’s World when I was about ten — seriously, I do not know *why* it was in my primary school library, I think it was there by mistake — and it took me a month, which of course at that time was unheard of (I read, like, four books a week). I did *not* understand it. But maybe I’ll go back to it. I think I’d probably get it a bit better now!!